Cowboys–Rams rivalry

Cowboys–Rams rivalry

Dallas Cowboys Los Angeles Rams
First meeting	November 6, 1960 Rams 38, Cowboys 6
Latest meeting	October 29, 2023 Cowboys 43, Rams 20
Next meeting	TBD
Statistics
Meetings total	38
Largest victory	Cowboys, 37–7 (1975) Rams, 38–13 (1960)
Current win streak	Cowboys, 2 (2022–present)
Post–season history
1973 NFC Divisional: Cowboys won: 27–16 1975 NFC Championship: Cowboys won: 37–7 1976 NFC Divisional: Rams won: 14–12 1978 NFC Championship: Cowboys won: 28–0 1979 NFC Divisional: Rams won: 21–19 1980 NFC Wild Card: Cowboys won: 34–13 1983 NFC Wild Card: Rams won: 24–17 1985 NFC Divisional: Rams won: 20–0 2018 NFC Divisional: Rams won: 30–22

The Cowboys–Rams rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams.

As the Cowboys play in the NFC East and the Rams in the NFC West, both teams do not play every year; instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium due to the NFL's rotating division schedules during which their respective divisions are paired up, sometimes more often if the two teams meet in the playoffs, or have a common position finish in their respective divisions. The rivalry between the two teams peaked during the 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s, during which they met eight times in the playoffs, with each team winning four.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

History

The rivalry between the Cowboys and Rams started once Dallas joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960. They were one of the first two teams to conduct joint practices during the preseason. Initially, the rivalry became a friendly one owing to the friendship between Rams owner Dan Reeves and Cowboys executive Tex Schramm. However, the feud intensified after Schramm accused Rams head coach George Allen of sending a spy to a Cowboys practice, to which Allen countered by arguing that the Cowboys put a scout atop a tree to spy on the Rams.^[7][8]

The Cowboys and Rams faced each other in the playoffs for the first time in 1973. Dallas was coached by Tom Landry, and featured Roger Staubach as the quarterback and the Doomsday Defense led by Hall of Famer Bob Lilly. The Rams, coached by Chuck Knox, featured defensive stalwarts in Jack Youngblood and Merlin Olsen. In that first meeting, the Cowboys prevailed 27–16 at Texas Stadium in the NFC Divisional Round.^[9] Two seasons later, the two teams met in the NFC championship game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Despite entering the game as heavy favorites, the Rams lost in a blowout at home, 37–7, sending the Cowboys to their third Super Bowl appearance.^[9] However, the Rams returned the favor in the 1976 divisional round, winning a close 14–12 decision in Dallas. It was also the Rams' first road playoff victory.^[9]

As was the case in 1975, the 1978 NFC championship game resulted in a blowout victory for the Cowboys on the road, winning 28–0 and clinched the team's fifth Super Bowl appearance. The Cowboys lost both of those games to the Pittsburgh Steelers.^[9] But in a similar fashion to 1976, the Rams bounced back in a chippy low-scoring encounter, winning the 1979 divisional round 21–19 in Dallas. In that game, Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo threw three touchdown passes, the last of which gave the Rams the lead for good. This game was also notable as it marked the final game of Roger Staubach's career. The Rams eventually advance to their first Super Bowl, but lost to the Steelers.^[8] The two teams met in the playoffs for a third consecutive time, this time in the 1980 Wild Card round. In that game, the Cowboys routed the Rams at home, winning 34–13.^[9]

The 1980s saw a Cowboys team in transition, now featuring Danny White as its starting quarterback. Meanwhile, the Rams drafted running back Eric Dickerson in the 1983 NFL draft and quickly became the face of the franchise. The next two playoff meetings resulted in Rams victories. In the 1983 Wild Card round, the Rams stunned the heavily favored Cowboys 24–17 in Dallas, with White committing three interceptions. Then in the 1985 divisional round, Dickerson rushed for a playoff record 248 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams shut out the Cowboys 20–0 in Anaheim Stadium. The game marked Tom Landry's final playoff game as Cowboys head coach, as well as the final NFL playoff game in Anaheim (the Rams moved there in 1980).^[9]

The rivalry became dormant over the next two decades. While the Cowboys became a Super Bowl dynasty in the 1990s and remained a relevant franchise in subsequent years, the Rams struggled with nine consecutive losing seasons, during which the team relocated to St. Louis in 1995.^[10] The Rams eventually won Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999 behind The Greatest Show on Turf trio of Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce, but it also coincided with the decline of the Cowboys' Super Bowl-winning core featuring Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. In 2002, the Cowboys met the Rams for the first time since the latter's move to St. Louis; it was also their first meeting overall since 1992, a 27–23 Rams win on the road.^[8] In Dallas' first visit to Edward Jones Dome, the Cowboys prevailed 13–10.^[11] The Cowboys made two more visits to St. Louis in 2008 and 2014, splitting those meetings.

After the 2015 season, the Rams returned to Los Angeles, and gradually reemerged as a Super Bowl contender.^[12][13][14] In 2018, the Rams and Cowboys met in the playoffs for the first time since 1985. In the divisional round, the Rams prevailed 30–22 and went on to play in Super Bowl LIII in a losing cause to the New England Patriots. The game marked the Cowboys' final visit to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.^[15] The 2020 season saw the Rams move to SoFi Stadium, and on September 13, the stadium hosted its first-ever game with the Cowboys as the visiting team. The Rams won 20–17.^[16]

Season-by-season results

Dallas Cowboys vs. St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams season-by-season results
1960s (Rams, 3–1) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1960 Rams 38–13 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Rams 1–0 Cowboys' inaugural season. This loss was the Cowboys' seventh of ten straight losses to start the season. 1962 Cowboys 27–17 Cotton Bowl Tied 1–1 1967 Rams 35–13 Cotton Bowl Rams 2–1 Final meeting at Cotton Bowl. Cowboys lose 1967 NFL Championship. First meeting in the series for George Allen as Rams head coach. 1969 Rams 24–23 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Rams 3–1 Final meeting in the series for George Allen as Rams head coach.
1970s (Cowboys, 6–4) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1971 Cowboys 28–21 Texas Stadium Rams 3–2 First meeting at Texas Stadium. First start in the series for Roger Staubach. Cowboys win Super Bowl VI. 1973 Rams 37–31 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Rams 4–2 First meeting in the series for Chuck Knox as Rams head coach. 1973 playoffs Cowboys 27–16 Texas Stadium Rams 4–3 NFC Divisional Round. First post-season meeting between the teams. 1975 Cowboys 18–7 Texas Stadium Tied 4–4 1975 playoffs Cowboys 37–7 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Cowboys 5–4 NFC Championship Game. Cowboys take first lead in the series. Cowboys lose Super Bowl X. 1976 playoffs Rams 14–12 Texas Stadium Tied 5–5 NFC Divisional Round. Final meeting in the series for Rams defensive tackle Merlin Olsen. Final meeting for head coach Chuck Knox during his first stint as Rams head coach. 1978 Rams 27–14 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Rams 6–5 First meeting in the series for Ray Malavasi as Rams head coach. 1978 playoffs Cowboys 28–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Tied 6–6 NFC Championship Game. Final meeting at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum until 2018. Cowboys lose Super Bowl XIII. 1979 Cowboys 30–6 Texas Stadium Cowboys 7–6 1979 playoffs Rams 21–19 Texas Stadium Tied 7–7 NFC Divisional Round. Final start in the series for Roger Staubach. Rams lose Super Bowl XIV.
1980s (Rams, 5–4) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1980 Rams 38–14 Anaheim Stadium Rams 8–7 First meeting at Anaheim Stadium. 1980 playoffs Cowboys 34–13 Texas Stadium Tied 8–8 NFC Wild Card Round. 1981 Cowboys 29–17 Texas Stadium Cowboys 9–8 Final meeting in the series for Ray Malavasi as Rams head coach. 1983 playoffs Rams 24–17 Texas Stadium Tied 9–9 NFC Wild Card Round. First meeting in the series for John Robinson as Rams head coach and Rams running back Eric Dickerson. 1984 Cowboys 20–13 Anaheim Stadium Cowboys 10–9 Final meeting in the series for Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood. 1985 playoffs Rams 20–0 Anaheim Stadium Tied 10–10 NFC Divisional Round. Final playoff game at Anaheim Stadium. Final playoff game for Cowboys head coach Tom Landry. Eighth postseason meeting in just a 13-year period. 1986 Rams 29–10 Anaheim Stadium Rams 11–10 Tom Landry was escorted off the field in the 3rd quarter following the Anaheim Police Department learning of a threat on Landry's life; with Landry later returning after being fitted for a bulletproof vest. 1987 Cowboys 29–21 Anaheim Stadium Tied 11–11 Final meeting in the series for Tom Landry as Cowboys head coach. 1989 Rams 35–31 Texas Stadium Rams 12–11 First start in the series for Troy Aikman and first appearance for Jimmy Johnson as Cowboys head coach.
1990s (Tied, 1–1) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1990 Cowboys 24–21 Anaheim Stadium Tied 12–12 Final meeting at Anaheim Stadium. Final meeting in Los Angeles until 2018 and final meeting in the series for John Robinson as Rams head coach.. 1992 Rams 27–23 Texas Stadium Rams 13–12 Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII. Final start in the series for Troy Aikman and final appearance for Jimmy Johnson as Cowboys head coach. Only appearance for Chuck Knox during his second stint as Rams head coach.
2000s (Tied, 2–2) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2002 Cowboys 13–10 Edward Jones Dome Tied 13–13 First meeting in St. Louis. Cowboys' first visit in St. Louis since 1987 (vs. the Cardinals). 2005 Rams 20–10 Texas Stadium Rams 14–13 2007 Cowboys 35–7 Texas Stadium Tied 14–14 Final meeting at Texas Stadium. 2008 Rams 34–14 Edward Jones Dome Rams 15–14
2010s (Cowboys, 4–2) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2011 Cowboys 34–7 AT&T Stadium Tied 15–15 First meeting at AT&T Stadium. 2013 Cowboys 31–7 AT&T Stadium Cowboys 16–15 2014 Cowboys 34–31 Edward Jones Dome Cowboys 17–15 Final meeting in St. Louis, final meeting before the Rams return to Los Angeles 2017 Rams 35–30 AT&T Stadium Cowboys 17–16 2018 playoffs Rams 30–22 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Tied 17–17 NFC Divisional Round. First meeting in Los Angeles since the Rams returned to the city. Final meeting at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Ninth postseason meeting, tying an NFL record (since broken). Rams lose Super Bowl LIII. First postseason meeting since 1985. 2019 Cowboys 44–21 AT&T Stadium Cowboys 18–17
2020s (Cowboys, 2–1) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2020 Rams 20–17 SoFi Stadium Tied 18–18 First meeting at SoFi Stadium. 2022 Cowboys 22–10 SoFi Stadium Cowboys 19–18 Rams break the 1999 Denver Broncos record for worst defending Super Bowl champion. 2023 Cowboys 43–20 AT&T Stadium Cowboys 20–18
Summary of results Season Season series at Dallas Cowboys at St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams Notes Regular season Cowboys 16–13 Cowboys 9–6 Tie 7–7 Cowboys won 2 of 3 games played in St. Louis. Postseason Rams 5–4 Rams 3–2 Tie 2–2 NFC Wild Card: 1980, 1983 NFC Divisional: 1973, 1976, 1979, 1985, 2018 NFC Championship: 1975, 1978 Regular and postseason Cowboys 20–18 Cowboys 11–9 Tie 9–9

See also

• National Football League rivalries
• California–Texas rivalry
• Angels–Rangers rivalry

References

1. DaSilva, Cameron (January 7, 2019). "Rams and Cowboys have lengthy playoff history, but none this century". Rams Wire. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
2. Duffley, John (January 11, 2019). "The Cowboys-Rams Playoff History is Long, But Plenty Has Changed in 33 Years". FanBuzz. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
3. Strawn, Michael (January 9, 2019). "The Cowboys and the Rams are set to revive a storied playoff rivalry". Blogging The Boys. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
4. "Cowboys, Rams to meet for ninth time in playoffs, most in NFL history". NBC Sports. January 12, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
5. "The Cowboys and Rams have a deep playoff history. Here's how it has gone down". Star Telegram. January 12, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
6. go rams (January 18, 2019). "The Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams: The Professor's playoff history course". SB Nation. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
7. Dijo Songco (May 19, 2020). "Los Angeles Rams' top 5 rivals of all time, ranked". Clutch Points. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
8. Gary Klein (September 27, 2017). "There's a lot of history between the Rams and Cowboys, and Sunday's matchup stirs memories". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
9. go rams (January 18, 2019). "The Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams: The Professor's playoff history course". SB Nation. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
10. "NFL's Rams announce move to St. Louis | January 17, 1995". HISTORY. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
11. Brandon Bate (August 25, 2012). "A Brief Look Into History: St. Louis Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys course". SB Nation. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
12. "California love: Rams head back to L.A. for '16". ESPN.com. January 13, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
13. Schilling, Dave (September 19, 2016). "After 22 years, the Rams are back in LA. Was it worth the wait?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
14. "Move still to come, but team is officially the Los Angeles Rams". ESPN.com. January 14, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
15. David Howman (September 9, 2020). "Know your history: The Cowboys-Rams matchup". SB Nation. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
16. "Rams open SoFi Stadium in style with 20-17 win over Cowboys". CBS Sports. Associated Press. September 14, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2021.